Page 11 of Burned

“My family. They wouldn’t even be looking for me.”

“You could call them,” I suggest, even though my dragon strongly objects. Yeah, bad idea for the hunter to call his family of hunters.

“Or you could just release me, and I’ll go home.”

Panic rises in my chest. He can’t leave until I’ve figured out how to break the bond. If he were to be attacked again, it would mean death for both of us. I have to get him to stay without telling him why.

“Unless you’re holding me captive.” Alrick stands, rising to his full, impressive height. “Am I your prisoner, Lord?”

ALRICK

The lookon Lord’s face as I challenge him is interesting, to say the least. I swear he’s a few shades paler than he was and his breathing has sped up. That strange, dull ache in my chest intensifies too, as if his emotions are mine.

Maybe he’s fighting the urge to show his dragon side to me. Without my sword, he could bite me in half before I could run to the doorway, but for some reason he’s holding back. I was always taught that the worst place you could be is in a dragon’s lair. They’re very territorial and violent when threatened. My heart races, but thanks to a lifetime of training, of learning how to hide my emotions and fears, I keep my expression completely stoic.

Strangely, danger isn’t the vibe I’m getting from Lord at all. So far, he’s been kind, soft spoken, and carries himself with a quiet elegance that intrigues me. Doesn’t hurt that he’s got a face artists would stumble over to capture in their art.

His dark hair is thick and slightly wavy, and his beard is impressive. Not like mine, but very few are. His eyes interest me the most though. They hold mysteries in them, secrets, and unspoken desires. I’ve always been able to tell everything I need to know about a person through their eyes, but Lord’s reveal nothing of the man behind them.

His jaw twitches as he also rises, nearly matching my height and stature. Hmm. Perhaps he’s not as calm natured as he seems. How could he be after all? Heisa dragon, the most dangerous, selfish, cruel beast to walk the earth. Whatever kindness he’s showing can’t be anything more than an act. Why he’s bothering to try to trick me, I have no idea.

“I’m afraid I must insist you stay a bit longer. The effects of the medicine I gave you are still working through your system, and though you feel better, you’re not fully healed.”

His tone is firm, his polite request tinged with demand.

“My family needs me,” I insist.

He flinches slightly, but replies, “You’ll be more helpful to them when you’re fully healed.” I notice how he leans ever so slightly closer to me across the desk. “Besides, someone tried to kill you once. Who’s to say the threat is extinguished?”

Is that a threat?

“How do I know I’m safe with you?”

“You were at your most vulnerable when I found you, on the verge of certain death, yet you live and breathe before me. If I intended to harm you, I’d be a fool to wait for your strength to return.” A glimmer of light flashes in his eyes. “And I’m no fool, Alrick.”

I suppose he has a point.

“I’m the one who brought a stranger into my home,” Lord continues, his gaze hardening. “With no idea if you are friend or enemy.”

The sharpness in his comment rattles me. The reality of the situation settles over me. While I was half-delirious the first time I woke up, I told him I was a dragon hunter. Does he know I’ve figured out that he’s a dragon? That’s harder to guess, but he’s not stupid. We’re walking on a razor’s edge right now, neither of us wanting to show our hand first. Maybe he’s lying about the sword, or maybe he watched it happen. He saw his lizard friend attack me. But then why would he choose to save me and nurse me back to health? None of this makes any fucking sense.

“I mean no harm.” I have to grit the words out from between clenched teeth.At least not for now.

“Nor do I,” he says, his voice softening. “In another day or two, the healing effect should be complete.”

“Then I can leave?”

Lord nods. “By all means.”

The way he clears his throat after he answers raises my hackles.

What are my options? I have no idea where I am and no way to contact my brothers. I’ve told Digby a hundred times we need to upgrade our technology, but he insists on hunting the old Viking way, which means leaving digital devices like phones and GPS behind.

That’s likely why I was alone when Lord found me. If they lost track of me when the dragon dragged me off, they would have no timely means to find me. Then there’s the whole ‘hero’s death’ concept my dad instilled in us. We die like men, our bodies—what’s left after the dragon decimates us—becoming one with the earth.

No funeral for a dragon hunter who died at the claws of their enemy.

A sharp pang in my chest draws my gaze up abruptly, and I find Lord watching me. He blinks and clears his throat.

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